Homemade Salsa

Now is the time of year that our garden is producing all of the fresh ingredients for salsa. I can at least 24-30 pints each year. We actually ran out several weeks ago! I have made this recipe for about 12 years now and everyone loves it. I think the original recipe was in Countryside magazine all those years ago.

5 lbs tomatoes, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups onion, chopped
2 1/4 cups assorted peppers, chopped
2-3 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. cumin
1 tbsp. salt
1 cup vinegar
2 small cans tomato paste

Put all ingredients in a large stock pot. simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring often to prevent from sticking.
Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Makes 6-7 pints.

Some tips~
This doubles easily! Twice the salsa, once the mess.
If time runs short and I don't have time to can the day I make it, it will store in the fridge a couple of days until you get to it.
I use my blender to chop the veggies. Pulse tomatoes once or twice to get a chunky consistency. To chop the peppers and onions I cut into large pieces and pulse. To make it easier, put about a quarter cup of tomatoes in the blender each time. The liquid helps chop more easily.
Use any assortment of peppers. I use whatever is ready in the garden. Today it was mostly banana peppers, hot and mild, with a couple of bells and jalapenos for a bit of heat.